The Elite Trio: A lesson in teamwork
by FFabeonG
Summary: Count Dooku has been located on Kamino, and veteran masters Saesee Tiin and Agen Kolar have been sent to apprehend him, accompanied for the first time by master Kit Fisto. It's an myriad trial of strength, endurance, and some pain for the new trio, but even in the greatest trials there are lessons to learn...


In complete and utter silence, the transport ship swept down through thick fog and lashing rain, descending down the surface of Kamimo with no less than three Jedi masters on board. As the ship touched down, the pilot set about disengaging the engine and peered outside, trying to discern anything from the fog. He was the Iktochi Saesee Tiin, and his Force powers were so attuned that it hardly took much focus to sense that they were in the right place. The dark side of the Force that emanated from Count Dooku pierced the atmosphere of the planet. Glancing behind him, Saesee Tiin noted his first companion raise his head from meditation and open his eyes, looking up to meet Tiin's eyes. Clearly Zabrak master Agen Kolar had sensed the Sith's presence too, even though his Force powers were less astute than Tiin's, and the two nodded briefly at each other. Then Tiin looked to the third master, who was watching him steadfastly. Well, he assumed Kit Fisto was looking at him, with a lack of pupils in his jet-black eyes it was hard to discern where exactly the Nautolan's gaze fell, but the upward quirk of his mouth was definitely for the Iktochi. He however received no nod.

Disembarking from the ship, Master Tiin waved the door shut behind them and decided to break the silence between them.

"He is here. We sense it."

"Indeed." Master Kolar's hand was already on the hilt of his lightsaber, and he glared through the storm at the high-rise complex that housed the birthplace of the clone army, the very place where Dooku's malevolent aura oozed from. "We must not hesitate; defeating Dooku here could very well change the course of war."

"But why is he here in the first place?" Master Fisto was not handling his weapon yet, even as they approached the door, which looked very different to the last time any of them had seen it. Choosing to not answer the Nautolan, Kolar pressed his hand to the door and scowled.

"Look. It's been sealed."

"Welded on the edges." Tiin corrected him, pointing with a long finger at the rim of the door, melted and joined to the frame. "Flimsy, however."

In response, Kolar ignited his blade, cobalt in colour, and it was soon joined by the emerald saber of Fisto; with one jagged slash the Zabrak had cut through the frame of the left-hand side of the door and had to jump back as the wreckage fell forward towards him. In contrast the right-hand side swung open after the side swish of Fisto's blade to undo the welding that had been done. Now Tiin himself ignited his blade and led the way in, poised for an attack...

That didn't come.

Acting on a trained instinct, the three masters stood back to back, lightsabers raised and providing the only light that spilled into the foyer, revealing the dim circle they made to be deserted. Tiin was frowning.

"This is unusual."

"More like this is too dark." Grumbling, Kolar raised his saber higher, trying to squint into the gloom. "I cannot see a thing."

"Here." The glow of his blade followed Fisto as he broke from the triangle and crossed to a wall enveloped in darkness. Hitting a switch, he shielded his lidless eyes while the other two blinked as bright lights were switched on and revealed a foyer with not a soul, Sith or droid in sight. "I agree with you, Master Tiin." He hadn't lowered his saber. "This _is_ unusual."

" _hmm"_ Tiin didn't react to the thought that was sent directly to his mind, but instead pointed down a long corridor to the right.

"Master Fisto, check there. Is that not where the viewing platform for the clone training was?"

"I will see." The amphibious black eyes seemed to study both Iktochi and Zabrak before he obeyed and vanished from sight. No sooner had he done so then Kolar turned to Tiin.

"Why couldn't Plo Koon come?" No Jedi serenity could disguise the slight annoyance in his voice.

"Master Koon has returned to his clone division. Master Fisto is a council member now, and Master Windu has seen it fit to send him with us for this mission." Tiin replied steadily. It would not do to allow divisions to fester now of all times. The mention of the council seemed to calm Kolar, giving him his rock on which he built his convictions.

"Of course, you are right." He conceded. There was a slight pause. "Though we two are strong in of ourselves." The Zabrak did not miss the imperceptible nod of agreement from Tiin.

Unbeknownst to the two, Fisto was perched just around the corner with something of a sadness tainting his normal smile. He knew full well the two elder masters were accustomed to working as a duo, and his appointment to this mission had not been greeted with overwhelming joy. In a deep part of him this hurt; it hurt that he was so instantly distanced from two masters whom he had admired for years, and it hurt that his own skills were so easily dismissed. That was why Fisto hesitated, he took a breath and a dip into meditation like he would into water, letting that hurt slip from his shoulders and away into the Force. Then he rounded the corner, his eyes wide in urgency.

"Top floor." He said, voice hushed with tension. "Dooku. It looks like he's threatening the Kaminoans!"

The blue blade and the second green one burst into being. Tiin raised his lightsaber.

"Then let us confront him."

Count Dooku, or perhaps more aptly known as Darth Tyranus, broke off midway through a death threat to the quivering Kaminoan in front of him. Then as the whoosh of an opening door sounded behind him, he turned with the perfect gentleman's condescending smile on his face as the presences in the Force swelled in strength.

"Ah, Master Kolar of course." His eyes slid across the Jedi. "And master Tiin, how lovely to see you. And..." His voice broke off for a second. This was not part of the plan. "Master Fisto." It was only a falter, and the mask of an aristocrat descended again. "How charming to finally see you face to face."

"Indeed, Count Dooku." The pleasant smile worn by the Nautolan gave away no real hint of emotion. "Holograms hardly do justice."

"To what, may I enquire?" Dooku raised an eyebrow. That could be an insult or compliment, and he knew that well.

"The answer to that hardly matters." Kolar interrupted. He ignited his weapon, noticing only briefly the warning glance from Tiin. "What matters, Count, is your presence here. We must demand your surrender."

Equally fierce hums sounded as Tiin and Fisto raised their lightsabers, but Darth Tyranus only smiled in something akin to satisfaction.

"It is a shame I cannot demand your deaths in return." A ruby blade slid from under his sleeve, hissing venomously. A fire glinted in his eyes. "I can only cause them."

It was Tiin who moved first, launching himself into a vicious feint that Kolar swept into, but the Sith was too fast; flipping over them both he landed neatly with his blade raised to strike at them, only to have to suddenly defend a jab from Fisto. Nevertheless, the blood-red blade whirled into a blaze of fury, slashing and parrying in a cyclone of hatred that the three Jedi blades clashed with together or more commonly in turn, each master being driven further from each other and deeper into their defensive moves. Blocking a nasty backswing from the Sith, Tiin waved a hand to shut the door behind the fleeing Kaminoan. They needed no civilian casualties here. As he paused for a second, Tiin caught sight of Kolar's sapphire blade striking like lightning, piercing the darkness that the Jedi could feel like blinding smoke emanating from Dooku. Kolar's defence was as vicious as his strikes, when he could make them, but his best asset of determination was striving and winning, beginning to wear down the older opponent. From opposite Tiin there came a flash of emerald green, blocking the next strike of the Sith that threatened to catch Kolar, then the next second the Nautolan was angling for a parry right in front of the Iktochi.

Wasting no more time, Tiin leapt back into the fray himself, but no sooner had he done so when Dooku thrust his hand up and the light above them exploded in a shower of sparks before plunging the room into darkness. The move worked only partially, for sure the Jedi were distracted but the Sith Lord hardly had time to wave open a door and run for it.

"After him!"

The Force was aiding all their energies, and Jedi chased Sith right down the ground level, where the storm was battering the walls and windows, waves reaching up high enough to threaten to shatter the glass and drown them all. The thuds of Dooku's heavy soled boots were barely audible over the roaring wind and rain as he thundered across a corridor over fifty metres high and suspended over the raging sea, connecting the tower complex to the ship hanger. Reaching the other side and glancing over his shoulder, his shout was full of vicious hatred.

"You damned Jedi! Let the sea do my job of destroying you!" With that he waved his hand and the walls, no more than glass panels interspersed with pillars, shattered and the sea roared in. What on a peaceful day could be the most beautiful corridor on Kamino now turned into an alley of terror; waves hurtled through the shells of the wall, threatening to smash the pillars with their power and send the whole structure crashing down, and the howling wind further threatened to knock over the Jedi that skidded to a halt on the other side of the passageway.

"Dooku!" Kolar ground his teeth, his saber gripped tight, "We can't let him get away!"

"But we cannot cross!" Tiin had to shout over the wailing wind. "A single wave will sweep us away!"

"Yes, but..." Fisto's voice trailed off, and Tiin looked at him.

"What?"

The Nautolan only grit his teeth. His lightsaber vanished and the hilt was suddenly on his belt.

"You wouldn't like it if I told you."

Then he ran.

"Fisto!"

Kit Fisto ran through the storm, halting in the centre of the ruined corridor just as a killer wave reared and plunged down towards the Nautolan. He held up a hand, two hands, braced himself as if to push a planet, and the wave juddered and shuddered to a raging halt in mid-collapse. In a split second a second wave crashed through on the other side; Fisto had to contain the first wave with one hand and the second managed to fight lower and lower before his control halted it in a swirling rage barely above his head, leaving an awesome and terrifying arch of pure storm held only by the Force of one Jedi.

"Go!" Tiin came to his senses first and dived forward into a run, ducking his head under Fisto's arm and reaching the other side of the corridor with Kolar right behind him. As the Zabrak wasted no time in charging into the hanger, Tiin whipped around.

"Fisto!" He called. The Nautolan's arms were shaking, the waves were crushing him downwards, but he looked up.

"Go! I'll catch up!"

The Iktochi might have hesitated but with that promise he wasted no more time and raced into the ship hanger where a dramatic scene lay before him. Fighting alone for even that few first seconds Kolar was being pushed back, and Dooku was launching vitriolic attack after attack, his red lightsaber a single smear of light clashing with the blue of the Zabrak's and in the next instant, Tiin's own green blade. Now together the well-trained duo pressed the Sith lord with matched attacks and pars, but Dooku was clever and found gaps in those moves in which to jab and stab and land killer blows missed by centimetres. Suddenly it was as if a brick wall had been slammed into Kolar's chest as Dooku Force Pushed him and sent him almost flying across the hanger.

"Agen-" Tiin's shout was broken off as he had to defend a nasty strike. With a grunt, the Zabrak slammed into the wall and fell to the ground, his lightsaber skidding away from him. Scrambling back up to his feet, Kolar found himself hesitating for what felt like the first time in his life as he realised that to retrieve his fallen weapon he would get caught in-between Tiin and Dooku. They would slice him to pieces. He could not risk it.

The suddenly Kolar's lightsaber was no longer lying on the ground; it had vanished and another lightsaber erupted into vivid emerald light. Then it was joined by Kolar's own and Fisto was flipping and swerving, moving incredibly fast and striking at the Sith with both blades, matching Tiin's strikes perfectly to fill in those gaps Dooku aimed for. But he could not do it alone. Kolar saw his idea and charged for the fight; as if they were an oiled machine he slipped into an opening and with a single brush of hands his lightsaber was back in his hands and he renewed his efforts. Tiin, Fisto and Kolar fought together, and in that instant, they all understood why they were placed together, why this team so quickly created could really be no other way. They fought together as if they had for all eternity; Tiin swung his blade to block the Sith's strikes almost before they happened, Kolar fiercely struck with all the power allowed by the Light and like lightning Fisto filled in their gaps, swerving and blocking blows while throwing his own.

Yet this team was an infant, and not enough. The three Jedi blades collided in mid-air as Count Dooku performed a magnificent upward flip, landing neatly on his ship.

"He's getting away!"

"This has been a good fight, master Jedi." Dooku sneered. "But I shall have to kill you another day."

Tiin tried to send a devastating Force push that would fling the Sith's fighter off course but it was too quick, and shot away into the storm, speeding away from the pursuing Jedi as the hanger doors slammed shut in their faces, losing the enemy into the skies.

Lightsabers were sheathed and for a minute or so they only panted, the chase catching up with them.

 _"I am so tired."_ The thought was so clearly audible to the Iktochi that he looked around. Then Fisto's legs buckled beneath him and it was Tiin who caught him first, firmly lowering him to the ground despite the Nautolan's protests.

"Wha- I'm fine!" He tried to say, "Just a little-"

"Exhausted." Tiin finished. "You need to sit down."

"But I-"

"That's alright." To some surprise, fierce and determined Kolar just shrugged and then sat down beside Fisto. There was a pause broken only by the catching of breath. "Holding those waves..." The Zabrak commented slowly "...that must have taken a lot out of you."

Fisto smiled minutely.

"The sea does not appreciate being controlled." He replied with a shake of his head. Tiin had not taken his hand from the Nautolan's shoulder, and now noticed he was wet through, his robes soaked to green skin. A silence lay over them for a while longer, heavy and pressing, and the Iktochi felt Kolar muttering in his mind and fighting the bitter-to-swallow pill that was pride. Tiin, however, knew what he had to say.

"Fisto, you have my apologies."

The green-skinned Jedi looked like he'd been hit with a Force push.

"Your apologies?! What for?"

"I-" Tiin glanced at Kolar for a fraction of a second, who nodded. "We underestimated you. Your youth- in comparison to us that is- spurned doubt of your abilities, which are undoubtably proven now. We should not have doubted you in the first place."

"Master Tiin, I hardly think I deserve such praise." Fisto bowed his head. "But I thank you. Really, I look forward to watching and learning from both of you."

"I think we will all learn from each other. I'm looking forward to that." Kolar interjected and the Nautolan's face broke into his signature beaming smile, a sense of joy and relief rolling off him. Incredibly, a smile was beginning to tug on the corner of Kolar's mouth, something Tiin was sure he had never really seen before. To the further shock of the Iktochi, he felt a similar movement of his own lips. That was even rarer.

"Look what you've done, Fisto." He shook his head and held out a hand. "I haven't smiled since I was a padawan."

Grinning from ear to ear, Fisto took the hand and was pulled to his feet. In turn he helped Kolar up, who too was fighting to remain straight-faced.

"I take that as a success." Fisto's smile wavered fractionally. "But speaking of which, shouldn't we get back to the council and report on the failure to apprehend Dooku?"

"Failure?" Tiin questioned absently.

"We don't have a prisoner." Kolar pointed out.

"But we don't come back empty-handed."

Fisto looked heavily confused, and Kolar mentally warned him such philosophical asides were common from the Iktochi.

"So what do we bring to the Council?" Fisto questioned further.

"Each other." Tiin replied simply. "We are all alive, for a start. And that last fight alone has proven we can work together in a way the Force strongly supports. We are now-" his forehead twitched in some distaste "-as much as I dislike the word- a _team_."

"A team who takes on Sith Lords." Kolar shook his head, his sarcasm clearly audible. "That sounds flawless; what could go wrong?"

"Nothing will." Fisto's optimism was already balancing out Kolar's lack thereof. "We've survived one Sith already, who says we can't beat the next?"

"It would have been good to defeat Dooku here and now." Kolar gazed out of the window.

"Good, perhaps. But it was not the will of the Force." The Iktochi was firm. " _That_ is what we will report to the council. Speaking of which, shall we make our way back to the ship?"

Kit Fisto grimaced, flexing his hands.

"I don't think I can hold those waves again, by the way."

"Well then," Tiin spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "We do it as a team."

"Together." Agen Kolar reiterated.

"Together?"

"Together we will suffice, Master Fisto, we will suffice." For a split second, a shadow of foreboding flickered across Saesee Tiin's face. Then like the flash of a lightsaber it was gone. His voice was a far-off murmur. "We will have to."

* * *

 _A/N: Thanks for reading my first Star Wars fic! The ending makes a_ lot _more sense if you've read the novelisation of Revenge of the Sith, but I'm happy to explain if anyone wants. Please drop a review and I hope you have a wonderful day/night!  
~FFabeonG_


End file.
